Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
610. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Health if urgent action will be taken to prioritise the reform of the child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6611/24]
View answerI firmly support the regulation of all mental health services, including community CAMHS, and I have been progressing priority legislation to underpin this regulation.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring all mental health services, both inpatient and community, and both adult and child and adolescent, are fully registered, regulated, and inspected by the Mental Health Commission in its role as the independent regulator of mental health services.
Under the Mental Health Act 2001, the Mental Health Commission registers, inspects, and regulates all inpatient mental health services, including inpatient CAMHS. The current Mental Health Act 2001 does not include any provisions for the registration or regulation of community mental health services and therefore, it is not considered that the Act provides the necessary legal basis to expand the Commission’s regulatory remit.
The expansion of the Mental Health Commission’s role into regulating all community mental health services, including community CAMHS, is being addressed in the forthcoming Mental Health Bill. This new Bill is a complex and lengthy piece of legislation. It will provide the necessary legal underpinning to ensure that the Mental Health Commission can regulate all community services. Additionally, the Bill will overhaul the involuntary admission and detention process, modernise provisions related to consent to treatment, provide enhanced safeguards for people accessing inpatient treatment, and provide a new, discrete Part that relates exclusively to the care and treatment of children and young people.
Drafting of this Bill has been prioritised and it is now in its final months of drafting. It will be introduced to the Oireachtas in the summer legislative session, which begins in April.
Work also continues to improve CAMHS at service level. Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased by €74 million from €1.221 billion in Budget 2023 to nearly €1.3 billion in 2024, and with a strong focus on investing in child and youth mental health. This is the fourth consecutive year of an increase for mental health services, and highlights in real terms the importance this Government places on the mental health of those living in Ireland.
CAMHS receives €146.5 million in dedicated funding annually. In addition to this, approximately €110 million in funding is provided by the Government to community-based mental health organisations/NGOs each year to deliver supports and services. A significant proportion of this is dedicated to supporting young people. I recently announced a further €10 million in funding for mental health to support the delivery of clinical programmes and youth mental health. This again highlights the Government’s recognition of mental health as a central component to overall health, in line with our policies Sharing the Vision and Connecting for Life.
There continues to be growing demand for CAMHS across the country with over 22,000 referrals last year. Between 2020 and 2021, referral rates into CAMHS increased by 33%, while the number of new cases seen increased by 21%.
It is a priority for Government, and for the HSE ,to improve access to CAMHS and to address CAMHS waiting lists. The new dedicated HSE National Office for Child and Youth Mental Health will focus on improved service delivery. This includes taking account of the recent Maskey and Mental Health Commission reports on CAMHS. The National Office is currently finalising the Youth Mental Health Service Improvement Plan which will set out agreed actions for focused service improvement through identified, timely, and measurable actions.
There are now 75 CAMHS teams and 4 in-patient units nationally. Staffing in community CAMHS has increased in recent years, with an increase of 500 full time equivalent posts between 2011 and 2024. I secured funding for additional new posts under Budget 2024, with a focus on child and youth mental health posts.
The Deputy can rest assured that I, and the Government, remain fully committed to the development of all aspects of mental health services nationally.
Question No. 611 answered with Question No 562.
